HIGHLIGHTS:
• India’s first underwater tunnel for metro connectivity between Howrah and Kolkata is under construction
• It will be completely operational by 2023
• 520 metres of the 16.6-kilometer east-west route will be under the Hooghly River’s riverbed
India’s first underwater tunnel for metro connectivity between Howrah and Kolkata is under construction and will be completely operational by 2023. 520 metres of the 16.6-kilometer east-west route will be under the Hooghly River’s riverbed.
All about underwater tunnel
The tunnel corridor would connect Kolkata and Howrah and will be built 33 metres below the riverbed. Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRCL) is building the Kolkata East-West Metro line, which will include an underground tunnel beneath the Hooghly River. Mithun Ghosh, the Site Supervisor, spoke on the project’s facilities and safety measures, saying that there will be walkways in the tunnels for passenger escape in the case of an emergency.
Construction of the special passage in an emergency
“Important Passage work has also been done,” Mithun explained, “bearing in mind that if a technical problem happens inside the water tunnel region, passengers can be transported out using the special passage.” He also stated that over 80% of the work on the East-West Howrah Metro station has been finished, with full service slated to begin in 2023.
“The station is being built at a depth of 33 metres beneath the Hooghly river. Eighty percent of the work has been completed, with the remaining twenty percent to be completed. By 2023, it will be operational “Ghosh continued.
